BabyDaze is returning to South Delta thanks to the City of Delta.
Part of Delta council’s new financial plan is the establishment of a Delta BabyDaze Program, a nurse-led post-natal group. One had been running locally until a couple of years ago when Fraser Health cancelled the program, much to the chagrin of local moms.
The group met weekly at the South Delta Public Health Office in Ladner where members were able to weigh babies, discuss infant health concerns and receive education from a nurse on a variety of topics, both as a group and individually.
The health region said that a different group was being established that would meet at the Tsawwassen Library, where there would be guest speakers and group discussions, but without the nurse.
Restoring the program was an election promise by Mayor George Harvie.
“I’ve talked to many young families affected by the cancellation of the BabyDaze program who feel abandoned in seeking post-natal support here at home. When you’re a new parent, a bridge or tunnel is too far to travel to get the help you need in raising a happy and healthy baby,” Harvie said during the campaign.
Erica Beard, a nurse and member of Harvie’s Achieving for Delta slate who was elected as a school trustee, also advocated for the program, saying, “By bringing back a public health nurse to Delta on a weekly basis, young parents like me won’t have to face the unknown alone.”
When the health region announced cancellation of the program, Beard, mother of a four-month-old at the time, was part of a group of parents lobbying to reverse the decision.
Noting the group was an excellent use of nursing resources, Beard expressed frustration, saying their concerns were dismissed. Beard noted the group was useful for preventative health and allowed anyone who attended access to advice on raising healthy children from qualified professionals.
“Our concern is that we don’t necessarily need another group at the library. What we need is the health component of it because we don’t have any post-natal care in South Delta. It’s our only option, especially for those moms who don’t have a GP or a lot of us who aren’t technically considered high-risk or vulnerable,” she said in a 2017 interview.
Saying the group saved her from developing postpartum depression and anxiety, Beard noted more than a dozen new moms usually took part in the drop-in sessions.
Cedar Park Church in Ladner started a free program for moms after the Fraser Health program was cancelled, run by volunteers to fill the gap.
